1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for providing a surface which is angularly adjustable with respect to a reference surface. In particular, the invention relates to apparatus in which a sphere includes a surface and the sphere is angularly adjustable by being magnetically adhered to the reference surface.
2. Prior Art
Numerous mounting devices are known in the prior art for orienting a surface with respect to another surface. Such mounting devices are used for a variety of tasks including: fabrication and mounting of optical devices, surface gauge preparation and calibration, alignment of specimens being examined in optical and electronic instruments, positioning and alignment of semiconductor wafers during various process sequences, and for other uses. Unfortunately, such prior art devices involve various moving parts mechanically connected to each other. The mechanical connections create resonances, instabilities, and hysteresis, making the prior art devices difficult to adjust and maintain in alignment. Further, such devices have typically been incapable of being non-destructively attached to a reference surface oriented at an appreciable angle with respect to horizontal.